


i love ya! i love ya!

by idlesong



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Drinking, Gen, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, OT3, b/w adults only, pride parade antics!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-27 03:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15015635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idlesong/pseuds/idlesong
Summary: Chaotic antics at this year's Pride include, but aren't limited to, bisexuals rollerblading, beaded necklaces being flung around, gay revelations being had, drag queens shamelessly flirting, and teenage boys holding hands.





	i love ya! i love ya!

Drawing on eyeliner is a pain already, but it’s worse when you don’t have a flat surface to rest your elbow against, Ten thinks begrudgingly. Although his motions are practiced, something done over and over again for years, he can never underestimate the potential for a simple wing to go awry. He can’t risk it, not when fixing it would require redoing part of his meticulously applied eyeshadow with only half an hour left to get ready.

Ten wouldn’t be having this problem if Sicheng hadn’t claimed _his_ desk and _his_ dual-sided vanity mirror to do his own makeup. Taeil, at least, has the decency to use Ten’s bathroom to get ready, although that only left Ten with the option of sitting cross-legged in front of his full length mirror.

Unlike his more ambitious comrades, Ten’s opted to dress with comfort as his priority, wearing a red top he had fashioned (read: ripped) into a muscle tee, the bottom hem tied into a knot over the waist of his black shorts, and his trusty fishnets underneath. They have a few rips from the many days and nights he’s worn them around the city, and he can only love them more for it.

“Ow,” he hears Sicheng say.

“Did you poke your eye?” Ten leans back from the mirror. He turns his face from side to side to confirm the symmetry of his eyeliner and is pleased to see that he’s been blessed with even wings.

“Yeah,” Sicheng responds, right eye fluttering and staining red mascara onto his bottom lash line. The traitorous mascara wand is held in his hand, stared at with the utmost contempt by Sicheng’s half-functioning vision. “Do my eyeliner for me, please?”

“Taeil’s better at it,” Ten says, brushing another layer of highlighter onto his cheekbones with his ring finger. “Although I’m not sure if he’ll be done anytime soon.”

Taeil always takes the longest of them to get ready. His process is the most pain-staking, as is his attention to detail. Ten and Sicheng are no slackers when it comes to getting ready, but Taeil can outdo them both without realizing he’s done it. It happened when they dressed up as the Powerpuff Girls for Halloween two years prior, Taeil’s extravagant ensemble having reduced the squad to Bubbles & Co.

“Do you know what he’s wearing?” Sicheng asks, swivelling from left to right in his chair as he haphazardly applies a pink blush. His white cherry-print skirt, pattern identical to his tank top, flutters as he turns.

“Something extra,” Ten says, his assumption confirmed as soon as he hears the clacking of Taeil’s heels coming from down the hall.

 

Doyoung’s not really one for the parade part of Pride. Considering it to be the most commercialized aspect of the festivities, he usually opts to skip it, but he supposes it’s a happy medium that he gets to participate this way. He’s been painting signs with other students part of the business faculty’s Pride association, memorizing borderline cheesy but otherwise fun chants for the day of marching.

“Are those ready to be taken out?” another student named Sooyoung asks him, pointing to the last set of signs laid out in front of Doyoung. Her sparkly, rainbow striped dress makes Doyoung wonder whether he should have dressed up more for the occasion, looking comparatively bland in his white shirt and jeans.

Doyoung nods and starts to roll up the bristol boards, fastening them to their shape with rubber bands. Sooyoung sits on her knees and begins to help, only afterward staring at him with a thoughtful hum.

“Everything okay?” he asks with a smile.

“You need some face paint,” she says firmly. “Get a rainbow or two on your cheek.”

Doyoung laughs, nods his head in agreement, and gathers up the signs in his arms before being dragged by the shirt sleeve outside.

 

Kun asked Yukhei to come last year too, but a strange feeling had nagged at him. It was a nauseating feeling that twisted in his stomach whenever his eyes lingered too long, whenever his heart strained uncomfortably. There was no malice in it towards anyone but himself.

About a month ago, Yukhei had texted Kun with the most pitiful collection of emojis the older man had ever seen. He didn’t even _know_ there was a crying cat emoji. The following texts were long, somewhat incoherent paragraphs about how Yukhei wasn’t sure. It all warranted an explanation the day after from a much more sober Yukhei, but nevertheless, Kun got it.

It had been an excruciating year, but when Kun asked him again last week, he said yes. He had been waiting for Kun to ask, if anything, but he didn’t want to pitch the idea himself. He didn’t want to seem eager about it, in case Kun thought strangely of it. He would never, Yukhei knows, but it didn’t stop him from feeling such a way.

Yukhei is questioning, and sometimes things are just fine. There are moments he really considers it, and he thinks everything will be okay—he’s cognizant of the fact that nothing will change, his loved ones will still love him, he’ll still be the same person he knows himself to be.

Except there are also times when he’s miserable. It’s the feeling of uncertainty that’s the worst, the potential that everything about the sense of self he’s built up over the years will dismantle itself over this one factor. It’s overthinking to the point of disaster, Yukhei is aware, but he can’t help it. He knows it doesn’t have to be this _hard_ but he can’t help it.

“It doesn’t have to mean anything but supporting the community,” Kun had reassured him, the hand placed on his back as comforting as anything Yukhei has ever experienced. “We’ll go, and we’ll have fun. I’ll even point out the guy if we see him.”

“The guy” being the elusive man Kun had gone on six(!) dates with, and could amazingly make the most mild-mannered Kun flustered with a text message. Yukhei desperately wants to know what kind of guy he is, and it also gives him something different to think about when he’s standing amongst the crowd.

He hopes no one can pick him out as a fraud.

 

Things are exactly as hectic as he expected and then some. It’s Taeyong’s first Pride, surprisingly enough. He meant to go every year since he’s moved to the city for school, but every year there had been some reason—a course to study for, a visit from family, a truly awful summer flu—to miss it.

This time around, everything works out. By his side Taeyong has his roommates turned friends, Johnny and Jaehyun, who had once seemed intimidating when they were just strangers looking for a co-tenant, but he’s warmed up to them plenty over the past year. He’s happy to live with two of his best friends.

He’s also happy that these friends are tall enough to spot gaps in the crowd that they can occupy, inching closer and closer to the metal barriers separating the street from the sidelines. Jaehyun has his arm around Taeyong’s shoulder as they weave through all the smiling, colourfully dressed people, making sure they’re kept close to each other until they get as far as they can go.

“It should take about ten minutes for things to reach us, right?” Johnny asks, roughly brushing back his hair with his hand.

“Give it twenty, they always start late.”

The voice, belonging to neither Jaehyun nor Taeyong, makes him turn around to look for his roommates, nowhere to be seen in the general vicinity. He frowns. They must have gotten separated when they were walking forward.

“Thanks,” he says before he forgets, addressing the person to whom the voice belongs.

“Lose your friends?” the stranger asks, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear to reveal a dazzling assortment of piercings.

“I did, actually…” Johnny trails off, glancing around the heads of the crowd once more to seek out a mop of pink hair. Taeyong’s dye job is good for something other than ruining his scalp.

“You’d be better off texting them,” the stranger says. “It’s going to get really loud once the parade starts.”

“Good idea,” Johnny says, taking out his phone and sending them both information of where he’s approximately standing. Now that he’s merely waiting for his friends to show up, he smiles at the two people next to him, reaching out his hand. “Thanks for that. I’m Johnny.”

The first stranger takes it with a surprisingly firm grip, smiling back at him with his red-lined lips.

“I’m Ten, and this is Sicheng and Taeil,” Ten says, gesturing to his two friends, who return similarly amicable expressions. One is wearing a cherry-print two piece, his blonde hair tied into two buns. The other is in a gold slip dress, his lips shiny with gloss that Johnny wouldn’t mind smearing across his own.

“Nice to meet you.” Johnny has his attention briefly taken away by the spot of pink that just entered his peripheral vision, his face brightening upon seeing two familiar faces approaching him. “And here are my friends, Jaehyun and Taeyong,” he says, just as they manage to squeeze through.

“Oh, _cute_ ,” Ten says, looking right at Jaehyun, before slapping a hand over his mouth. “Shit, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” Beside him, Sicheng bursts into giggles.

Jaehyun notes the colours of pink, yellow, and blue that adorn Ten’s fingernails with a smile. “Feeling’s mutual,” he says.

“God, save it for the afterparty,” Johnny says with a snort, a comment that makes Taeil laugh. “We have to pay attention! It’s Taeyong’s first parade.”

“Oh, happy Pride!” Taeil beams, his smile made all the more dazzling with how his lip gloss glints against the sunlight. The sequins of his dress shine even brighter.

“Thank you,” Taeyong says a little shyly. In some ways he still feels out of place, worried that someone will declare that he doesn’t really belong, but the warm gazes of his new friends begin to alleviate his concerns.

 

“Just go out there and have fun.” Yuta has his hands on his hips. There’s a flower lei around his neck that clashes horribly with his floral shirt, awfully paired with a pair of cargo shorts that should have burst into flames as soon as the month began as an affront to the values of the queer community. “Hakana matuta, fellas.”

“It’s hakuna matata!” Jungwoo interjects meekly from his position on the ground. There have been a pair of rollerblades on his feet since eight in the morning, but it hasn’t gotten much easier to stay still.

“We don’t have time to be discussing this! We’ve gotta get out there!” Yuta shouts through his megaphone, making a sweeping gesture to call everyone else on top of the float to the centre.

Soon there’s music blasting from the speaker attached to the side of the truck, only slightly muffled by the giant flag poised to flutter as soon as the vehicle began to move. Jungwoo’s rolling back and forth on his feet, when he hears the engine start, startling him into bumping against Yerim.

“Sorry!” he quickly apologizes, but she quickly laughs it off.

“It’s okay! Your tutu’s cute, by the way,” Yerim says, glancing down at the pink tulle wrapped around Jungwoo’s waist. She’s wearing a similar one in lavender, the rest of her ensemble in a similar shade of purple.

“Thanks, yours too,” Jungwoo says with a wide smile.

“Thank you,” Yerim beams. “I think I’ve been upstaged by your rainbow thigh highs though, those are adorable.” She sighs exaggeratedly, resting her chin in her hand. “I swear I always get outdone. Just last Halloween I thought I’d make the cutest Belle when someone walked in wearing a better costume…”

Yerim seems to drift into her own train of thought after saying this, so Jungwoo redirects his focus to keeping his balance. Once the procession picks up, he’ll be needing to skate in front of the pack, so he needs to be paying attention. There are three bubble refills tucked into the waistband of his tutu, and he intends to use all of them.

 

Renjun tugs on Mark’s sleeve, pointing towards the incoming crowds of young adults holding banners that stretched across the width of the road. “Hey, it’s your school!” Renjun says, and Mark leans his head further out of the barrier to watch.

Seeing his university’s name, its crest, and so many of its students marching towards towards them makes him feel a rush of glee. He wouldn’t have believed that he would be where he is a year ago.

“Wow, there’s so many,” Jeno comments in awe, arms hanging over the barrier next to him.

“They’re split up by faculty,” Mark explains happily. “Arts, engineering, business, law, whatever, but they’re representing the school as a whole too.”

“Wow, Pride’s so powerful!” Donghyuck says, snark in his tone. “Only the gays can bring art and STEM kids together.”

“You’re very right,” Jaemin agrees, pressing a kiss to Donghyuck’s temple.

Mark may have just finished his first year, but it only felt right to go to his first Pride with his friends from high school. Up until he had graduated, he had only been out to six people, who he would trust with his whole world. Once university had begun, Mark made the terrifying decision to come out as bisexual to everyone in his life, and he couldn’t thank his friends enough for having been there for him throughout all of it.

Cheering on the students of his university as they pass makes his heart so full it could burst. It’s nearly overwhelming, watching this celebration of identity unfold in front of him. He’s waited so long to feel this comfortable, this accepted and loved. He almost can’t believe the day’s here. The absolute joy of it all makes him bring his arms around Renjun and Jeno and squeeze them close to his sides. Renjun complains half-heartedly before returning his side-hug.

Mark’s cheers grow extra loud when the arts faculty marches by, and one of the students smiles and tosses a few strings of colourful beads in his general direction, all of which Chenle and Jisung catch with expertise.

Chenle lets out a sound of triumph as Jisung stacks the necklaces around his neck, already hosting a nearly complete collection of the rainbow’s colours. It’s been a tradition ever since his first Pride three years ago. Jisung has been with him at every one so far, but this is the first where they’re also _together_.

It’s been a three month old secret, but after the whirlwind of surprise that Donghyuck and Jaemin had put their group of friends through only a week prior to Chenle and Jisung beginning to date, they had agreed it was best to wait it out. Except, now three months had passed and they were still looking for an opportune time. Surely one would arise soon. Surely.

 

The Bisexuality Visibility Coalition is making its rounds. Jaehyun whoops extra-loud, an arm comfortably thrown around Sicheng’s shoulder. It had been a precautionary action when the first floats began to appear, the crowd moving forward and pushing his companions tighter against the barrier. Sicheng was the closest body to his, and after ensuring his safety from the surrounding pushers, he detracted his arm with a quick apology.

Sicheng shook his head, took Jaehyun’s arm by the wrist, and wrapped it over his own shoulder. Having watched this interaction happen, Ten snorted.

Johnny points to a man dancing enthusiastically on top of the moving float, a flag tied around his neck like a cape. “That guy’s really going for it,” he comments with amusement.

“I wish he wouldn’t,” Taeyong adds, his nose crinkling as the guy continues gyrating his hips to the music off-beat. Taeil laughs at that, and it makes Taeyong flush.

“The enthusiasm is cute,” Ten says, followed by a whooping noise that catches his attention. “Over here, handsome!”

The BVC guy waves back, and throws Ten a wink as well as a button decorated with stripes of pink, purple, and blue. Ten blows him back a kiss.

“Anyone want it?” he then asks, holding the button up to his friends.

Jaehyun takes it and fastens it to his shirt.

Sicheng sighs in adoration. “Ugh, I _love_ queer solidarity.”

“Are you all going anywhere after this?” Johnny addresses the question to all three of his new friends, although he would be lying if he said that he was equally interested in all of their answers. Taeil shakes his head, and Taeyong almost laughs out loud at how Johnny’s face immediately lights up. His expression always betrays his emotions.

The next group following the BVC are the pride alliances of his university, and his attention is briefly taken away from speaking to watch them.

“Your school?” Taeil asks. Johnny nods, to which Ten chirps, “Ours too!”

Johnny smiles. “Perfect. People on the Pride Alliance are hosting an afterparty. It should be a good time.”

Ten makes an elated noise. “See! I told you we’d find a party,” he says, shooting a look at Sicheng who shrugs his highlighter-covered shoulders. “We’re in!”

Jaehyun nudges Johnny with his elbow, pointing to someone in the middle of the current passing group. “Hey, isn’t that Doyoung?”

 

The parade, so far, has been a more enjoyable occasion than Doyoung expected. It’s fulfilling, getting to see the hoards of people who have come out to celebrate the community, themselves, each other, and marching on behalf of the faculty.

Sooyoung had drawn a rainbow on his cheek with quite thick layers of paint, and he can feel it crack a little more whenever he smiles. It’s not the greatest inconvenience, but it felt restricting to the skin underneath, and he wishes he had just shown up in more colourful clothes in the first place. He thought his black SU business t-shirt would work just fine, thank you very much.

“Doyoung!” someone calls to him, the sound faintly recognizable over the chants he’s been bellowing for a good thirty minutes now. He turns his head to ever so briefly see Johnny standing on the sidelines, the pink hair of someone close to him making it easy to quickly spot him. He smiles at him as fast and as widely as he can, seeing Johnny and who he thinks to be his roommates waving back at him.

“Your friends?” Sooyoung asks, glancing over at him. The multicoloured sequins in her dress are even shinier in the sunlight.

“Yeah.” Doyoung can feel the paint chipping off his cheek, but he doesn’t mind it anymore.

 

“I’m convinced you’ve gone back on your promise,” Yukhei complains loudly.

“He hasn’t passed by yet! You know I would never lie,” Kun refutes with a frown. If he happened to be more wily than he actually is—that is to say, not very wily at all—he may have done such a thing to get Yukhei to come out to the parade, but he would never. With all his intuition from having been Yukhei’s friend for this long, he knows Yukhei’s ego can precede his logic. It’s not always a disadvantage; it certainly creates a courage that Kun doesn’t possess himself.

Yukhei’s the one who would shoulder himself and Kun through a crowd while yelling for people to move out of the way, always be blatant about his feelings with no apparent fear of rejection, talk to anyone like he’s known them for years. To see him go through this agonizing period of uncertainty is disheartening, but Kun knows he can’t do much to expedite the process but offer his support.

“Well our school’s just about done marching and unless you’re dating someone in the _forestry_ department, I’m calling bullshit,” Yukhei says.

“He’s not marching with our school,” Kun begins to explain, “he’s with the Bi Visibility Coalition.”

Yukhei raises an eyebrow at that. “What do they do?”

“They promote awareness of bisexuality to combat erasure. Help eliminate the whole concept that bi people have to make a definite choice because they’re confused. I didn’t know he was involved with them until he told me he was going to be marching.”

“Are the bi flag colours pink, purple, and blue?” Yukhei then asks.

Kun nods. “Yeah, why?”

“They’re coming up now,” Yukhei says, his lips stretching into an absolutely giddy smile.

Kun seems to spot his mystery man, because he’s just whispered “oh my god” under his breath before Yukhei pushes himself, and Kun, forward to get a better look.

“Who is he, who is he?” Yukhei asks, eyes darting between the rollerblading adults in colourful costumes. A Carly Rae Jepsen song was blasting from a speaker behind the rainbow and bi flags attached to the side of the float in the midst of the rollerbladers, some guy on top of it unbuttoning his tacky Hawaiian tourist shirt.

“He-He’s on the float,” Kun says with some horror, covering the left side of his face with his hand. “He’s the one…undressing.”

Yukhei’s eyes grow even wider than Kun thought possible. It’s a slow turn of expression before he bursts into laughter, unable to look away from the man, wearing a bi flag around his neck, and seemingly determined to leave it at just that with how quickly he’s discarding his shirt and cargo shorts.

“I am _ecstatic_ for you.” Yukhei can’t even pretend to hide his shock, although he’s a shitty actor to begin with. “What’s his name now?”

“Yuta,” Kun mumbles, cheeks pink.

Almost as though he heard him, Yuta whips his head in Kun and Yukhei’s direction and bellows a call of Kun’s name. Multiple calls. Ones that refuse to be ignored. Through a megaphone. Accompanied by him madly waving.

Finally, Kun relents and lifts his head, giving Yuta a gentle wave and his usual timid smile. Yuta pretends to stumble backward, clutching his chest as though Kun just shot him in the heart.

Yukhei coos. “He’s so cute!” he chimes, expression quickly changing as a string of purple beads hits him in the face. Yuta shouts back a sorry.

Kun laughs, bends down to pick up the necklace, and places it around Yukhei’s neck. “He is, isn’t he?” he sighs, turning back in Yuta’s direction to blow some kisses his way. He’s gotten over the embarrassment of it. It’s hard to feel such a way when Yuta’s so obviously revelling in all of his shenanigans, enjoyment increasing with every gesture Kun sends him.

“Are you okay?” one of the tutu-toting rollerbladers asks Yukhei, who’s still got the heel of his palm pressed against his eye. His vision isn’t great when he blinks his eye open at first, but soon focuses on the face in front of him, just behind the barrier separating the parade from the crowd.

“Y-Yeah, I am,” Yukhei says, gulping as he fully takes in the person before him. He might be the cutest person Yukhei has ever seen, ever. There’s a purple heart drawn on the man’s cheek, rainbow stripes wrapped around the tops of his thigh highs, a gorgeous smile that forms on his lips when Yukhei tells him that he’s feeling alright.

“Sorry about that, his aim’s been bad this whole time,” the man says sheepishly, reaching into his pocket and retrieving a small circular object. “Button?”

Yukhei nods, takes it from him with gratitude. “Happy pride,” he says.

“Happy pride!” The man gives him one last smile before rollerblading away to catch up to the other marchers, blowing heart shaped bubbles along his route.

Yukhei immediately elbows Kun in the side a few times, more times than necessary, but keeps going for emphasis even when Kun complains after the first.

“What, what, what?” Kun asks hurriedly.

Yukhei reaches to grab Kun’s head around his arms, pressing the older man’s cheek to Yukhei’s chest. “I’m not questioning anymore,” he sighs fondly.

 

With a final string of purple beads, Chenle’s completed his rainbow collection. Any duplicates tossed their way have, obviously, been put around Jisung’s neck in order to begin creating one for him too. All other items thrown in their direction—buttons, flags, stickers, ribbons, one can of cream soda for whatever reason—are added to an ever growing collection of free things that Jisung splits with Chenle afterward.

None of their friends seem to be catching onto their more couple-y antics, although it would be safe to assume that said antics don’t deviate too much from their normal ones in the first place. Pride is pride and love is love with their friends and their own traditions, as in Renjun explaining the history behind every group or coalition or association that passed by and supplying facts about how Pride came to be with no prompting.

Renjun’s an encyclopedia of information about many things, and Jeno’s always the one to most dutifully listen. He hangs on to every word of Renjun’s detailed explanations and supplements his own questions that Renjun will answer with the widest smile. It’s quite easy for them to have the conversation anyway, since Mark hasn’t let go of them after hugging them to his sides. He has a surprisingly strong grip when he’s so overwhelmed with emotion.

Jaemin and Donghyuck are less curious about it all, considering they’ve heard Renjun’s many spiels to the point of being able to quote them verbatim. They’ll turn and observe if, however, Renjun gets choked up _again_ telling the story of how Pride came to be. Donghyuck has his cheek resting on Jaemin’s shoulder, and he knows Jaemin must love him because he has yet to complain that his highlighter is probably staining his shirt. (Or he has yet to know.)

The group passing them now is one of Donghyuck’s favourite parts of the parade, personally, even if watching them never fails to make him tear up. Parents for Pride is heartwarming: families marching together with their queer children, in full support of their identities.

Even still, Donghyuck can’t help but sigh sadly. Jaemin squeezes his hand. Seeing the sight makes Donghyuck think about his own situation, Jaemin is sure, worry about whether his own parents would ever come around to accepting him. It had been nearly a year, preceded Mark’s coming out by a few months, but the experience had yielded less than positive results. The initial reaction Donghyuck received from his parents wasn’t unexpected, but it didn’t stop him from feeling crestfallen. Mortified. Unwanted, when the anxiety about it all grew particularly bad.

Those dark moments are chased away by the ever-present patches of sunshine in his life, namely his friends. Jaemin grew to be a warmth undeniably necessary in his vicinity. Closer than that, if possible. As close as possible.

“It’ll be alright,” Jaemin whispers, lips close to Donghyuck’s ear. “I’m here for you.”

Donghyuck squeezes his hand back. “I know,” he says. “Thank you.”

 

“You’ve been so quiet today!” Jaehyun yells over the music, so loudly that the bartender eyes him with some annoyance. It’s entirely her fault that Jaehyun can’t gauge his volume, considering she was doing everything but serving him when he tried to get her attention. For all he knows he’s whispering.

“I’m just nervous!” Taeyong yells back, and the bartender shoots them another look. They opt to take a few steps away from the bar. Maybe they can get drinks later.

“Nervous about what?” Jaehyun asks, lowering his voice now that they’ve gotten closer.

“Ten, Sicheng, and Taeil are all really nice and no one’s tried to make me feel left out at all but I still feel that way,” Taeyong admits. “I’m not…good at this.”

“Good at what? Being queer?” Jaehyun asks with incredulity. Taeyong’s eyes widen at him but Jaehyun only responds with a barking laugh. “You’re thinking too much about this.”

“I’m always thinking too much,” Taeyong says in a bad attempt at defending himself. “I don’t know, maybe I just need a drink to loosen up.”

“That sounds good. Why don’t you just take your time then?” Jaehyun suggests. “Get a drink, mingle, take as much time as you need.”

Taeyong narrows his eyes. “A part of me thinks you’re trying to get rid of me so you can focus on hitting on Ten or Sicheng.”

Jaehyun laughs sheepishly. “You’re wrong,” he says conversely. “I’m trying to hit on Ten _and_ Sicheng.”

Taeyong makes an unimpressed face. “I’m giving you thirty minutes,” he states. “And for the record, if it was Johnny, he’d only need five.”

“He already has a sticky lip print on his cheek. He’ll be just fine,” Jaehyun says. “Take pity on a poor soul like me!”

Taeyong rolls his eyes, calling out to his friend as he scoots further away from the bar. “They’re both out of your league!”

“I know!” Jaehyun calls back.

 

It takes all of ten minutes for Sicheng to resolve their drought, returning to them with a tray of glasses. The five, previously six, of them squished into a small booth upon their arrival, lucky enough that the place had seating at all with how packed it had gotten. Johnny and Jaehyun had been here a few times before, but they had never seen it so busy, nor had they ever seen it lit up so brightly with the colours of the rainbow.

Johnny carefully places Taeil’s drink in front of him before getting his own. Taeil smiles to him gratefully. He had kicked his heels off as soon as he managed to sit down. As Ten had explained to them, Taeil is the best, most resilient person you’ll ever meet in a pair of stilettos. But one whole parade is usually a good measure of his limits in them.

“How did you manage to get drinks? The bartender wasn’t even _looking_ my way,” Jaehyun says, sitting between Ten and Sicheng.

“Who, Joohyun? She’s so nice,” Sicheng says, and the confidence with which he says it makes Jaehyun think they _must_ be speaking about different people.

“How much do I owe you?” Johnny asks.

“Nothing.”

“No, really. I insist.” Johnny’s already got a hand in his pocket.

Sicheng laughs. “It’s okay. Someone bought them for me,” he says coyly.

“Who?” Jaehyun asks.

Sicheng shrugs. “Beats me. He thought I was cute and offered to buy me a drink. I said I was getting five and he said that was just fine,” he explains. “I don’t think he expected me to get them all at once and leave.”

Ten picks up his glass and holds it face-level. “I’ll drink to that, bitch. I love you and all your weird magnetic energy,” he says, clinking drinks with Sicheng, who has the stem of a maraschino cherry hanging between his lips.

Out of his league, Jaehyun thinks, but he’s also perfectly content sitting between them right now. He’s just happy in the moment, to be young and surely _very_ dumb as well as joyfully queer and to have met people who are all the same. Johnny whispers something into Taeil’s ear and Taeil laughs, which makes Johnny beam. Jaehyun watches the interaction fondly until he feels a tug on his sleeve.

“Want to go dance?” Ten asks, looking to Jaehyun first before directing the question towards the rest of the table.

“I’m game,” Jaehyun says with a grin.

“Me too,” Sicheng echoes.

Taeil shakes his head. “Feet hurt too much. I’m taking it easy,” he says.

“That’s what you get for not sticking to kitten heels,” Ten tuts, tying his hair up and expertly bobby pinning fly-aways into place.

“No way. During Pride we die like men!” Taeil declares. “Men in wigs, to be specific.”

“I’ll stay behind too. Kinda tired,” Johnny says.

Jaehyun isn’t mean or drunk enough to call out Johnny for so blatantly lying, so instead he throws an arm each around Ten and Sicheng to guide them away.

“Sorry about your feet. I’d offer you my shoes if I thought they’d fit,” Johnny says with an apologetic smile.

Taeil laughs, leans forward to rest his chin on his hand. “I always have a pair of flats in my clutch,” he says. “I just wanted to chase off the riffraff.”

“How come?” Johnny asks in surprise.

“Why else? To talk to you.”

Johnny’s heart probably falls out of his ass just then.

 

With a surprisingly convincing argument as to why he absolutely _must_ come out to the afterparty, Doyoung finds himself dragged along, Sooyoung’s grip around his wrist as strong as her convictions. A drink gets put into his hand, one that’s much pinker than anything he’s ever seen, but it tastes good so he has two more. Sooyoung’s fun to dance with, and Doyoung inanely thinks about how they’d make a good looking couple in some alternate universe where they’re both straight. He laughs just imagining it.

Sooyoung’s a great friend, up until she pushes him away when she locks eyes with a blonde in a purple tutu across the club.

That’s how Doyoung stumbles towards a stool, more thrown off balance by the push than any of the alcohol in his system. He drank enough to feel it, but not nearly enough time had passed for him to be as intoxicated as he would come to be. He swears he just needs to hold onto the bar counter for a little longer so he can recalibrate his equilibrium.

“You okay?” someone asks, two stools away. Doyoung can feel his face flush. He doesn’t like being caught in this state, regardless of where he is, especially when he’s not even _drunk_ , just tipsy with two left feet.

“Yeah, no worries,” he tries to say smoothly, hopping onto the stool next to the stranger with a familiar dye job. When he looks up, he realizes the stranger is familiar himself. “Hey. You know Johnny, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” the stranger says, his cheeks a shade lighter than his hair. He’s got a glass in front of him, nearly empty. “I live with him and Jaehyun.”

Doyoung takes a prolonged moment to recall. The sudden silence makes Taeyong bristle. Oh—that’s it. “Taeyong! You’re Taeyong,” Doyoung says confidently, as though he’s relaying the fact itself to him. “I’m Doyoung.”

“You marched with the business faculty, right?” Taeyong asks.

“You’re good with faces,” Doyoung comments.

“Just the cute ones.”

Doyoung thinks about when Johnny mentioned, near the beginning of the year, that his new roommate was a shy one. Either Taeyong’s got more liquid courage in him that Doyoung originally assumed, or Johnny lied.

Taeyong smiles at him in a gorgeously expectant way and Doyoung decides that the answer doesn’t matter. He glances in the direction of where Sooyoung had disappeared to and sees her dancing with tutu-girl, their hands on each other’s waists and yeah, he wants to celebrate the occasion properly too.

“Happy pride, Taeyong,” Doyoung says with a smile. “Can I buy you a drink?”

 

Taeyong’s not sure what’s come over him. By the time Doyoung stumbled his way, the drink in front of him had been his only one. His tolerance isn’t too strong, but it’s definitely strong enough not to succumb to the content of one vodka tonic. Temporarily separating from his friends meant doing some contemplation, as well as self-reflection, about why he had been acting even more timid than usual today.

It’s just like him to make himself smaller when around larger personalities, especially those of his roommates. Combined with the buoyant dispositions of their new gorgeous friends, of course Taeyong wouldn’t feel comfortable taking up more space than he thought he should.

But he can afford to try, can’t he? Thank goodness for Doyoung falling into the bar counter when he did, because it gives Taeyong an opportunity. Doyoung was definitely tipsier than Taeyong, but he catches up quickly enough with Doyoung’s generous offer. Now they’re dancing and Taeyong’s laughing because he realizes he doesn’t really need to _care_ so much about anything right now. He’s having fun, Doyoung’s cute, and he feels cute too.

The songs are starting to blend into each other and sound like one long track with a bass that makes his chest thump. The thumping grows faster, but the music doesn’t, Doyoung wraps a strong arm around his lower back. Taeyong leans forward.

 

“Sorry!” Yuta yells his apology to the two guys making out as he shoves past them to get out of the crowd of dancing bodies. The couple let him by without even a glance in his direction. When he finally manages to get some empty space around him, he sees Kun sitting at a high table, waving him over with fluttering fingers. A familiar face, one Yuta’s seen in Kun’s Instagram photos and Snapchat stories, is sat next to him. Yuta supposes that’s Yukhei.

“Hey,” Kun greets him, the tiniest dimples that form when he smiles making Yuta unable to respond with anything but a kiss on his cheek. Yukhei snorts at Kun’s flustered reaction.

“Enjoy the parade?” Yuta asks and Yukhei nods with an enthusiasm whose energy is opposed by Kun’s deep consideration before replying.

“It was interesting,” Kun says, his smile slipping from genuine to polite. “You were very…spirited!”

Yuta’s grin gets even wider. “That’s me. Loud and proud are the only ways to live,” he states. “I’m glad you got to see me, baby.”

“ _Baby_ ,” Yukhei repeats quietly, looking increasingly amused at Kun’s shyness towards any expression of affection towards Yuta. This, of course, only serve to spur Yuta on further.

“Do you mind if I ask my friend to join us? He’s in the BPV too,” Yuta says, only after having pressed a kiss on every one of Kun’s knuckles.

“Sure,” Kun mumbles, face still pink. Yukhei nods, curious.

Yuta beams and takes out his phone. “His name’s Jungwoo. You’ll love him.”

 

“He’s your type, isn’t he?” Sicheng asks, a knowing smile on his face. It’s probably his default expression by this point. Ten hates it.

“And what is my type exactly?” Ten narrows his eyes at his friend, additionally noting that Sicheng’s false lashes hadn’t budged all night. He would ask him about what glue he used later because his own feel a little droopy.

“Uh, guys who look straight?” Sicheng’s tone implies that Ten should know the answer already. It’s not what he had in mind himself, but he can’t deny the truth of it either. It’s not like Sicheng wasn’t always by his side when they traipsed around the odd frat party. However, this train of thought led Ten to another revelation.

“That’s your type too!”

“Duh. We’re sharing.” It’s always hard to tell what Sicheng is thinking until he spells it out. Then it all makes sense. Their bodies sway lightly to the beat of the music as they talk, waiting for Jaehyun to return with more drinks. Both of them had offered to go instead, considering Sicheng’s better fortune, but Jaehyun had been adamant about trying again. Stupid, stupid boy. Ugh, it’s like he knows exactly how to win Ten over with his stupid boyish ways.

“We shouldn’t ditch Taeil,” Ten then says. It’s presumptuous of him to assume they would have reason to do it in the first place but look at him. And look at Sicheng. Jaehyun would be _extra_ dumb not to take them up on their offer, and it’d just make Ten want him more.

“I’m pretty sure Taeil _wants_ us to ditch him so he can hang out with Johnny,” Sicheng says.

Ten takes Sicheng’s hands and tilts backwards on his heels, stretching enough to catch a glimpse of the booth they previous occupied. “Yeah, they’re basically married now,” he comments, seeing how close they’ve shifted together in the seat. “Aw, they’re holding hands—and kissing, they’re kissing.”

“Who’s kissing?” Jaehyun asks just as he returns, notably holding nothing.

“Taeil and Johnny.” Sicheng turns around. “No luck?”

“Thought so.” Jaehyun snorts. “And no. Joohyun doesn’t like me.”

“It’s your straight boy vibes. I got it, no worries,” Sicheng says, patting his shoulder and walking away.

“My _what_ vibes?” Jaehyun repeats in confusion, looking to Ten for some type of confirmation.

Ten presses a red-lipped kiss to Jaehyun’s cheek, much to his surprise. “Stop that right now or else I’m gonna make out with you,” Ten says, his voice firm in a way that makes Jaehyun quiver a little bit. Enjoyably so.

“I don’t know what I’m _doing_ ,” Jaehyun whines, although he hopes he’s still doing it.

Ten sighs exasperatedly and drags him forward by the collar.

 

“Sorry you’re not at that party, Mark.”

Jeno’s smile is apologetic, and Mark only laughs in return. “Even if Yukhei invited me earlier, I still wouldn’t have gone,” he says, patting the top of Jeno’s head. “I’d much rather be with you guys.”

“Why go to some club where everyone’s fighting to get the bartender’s attention and making out with strangers when you could be right here with your bestest friends?” Jaemin grins, an arm slung around Donghyuck’s shoulder.

“With your bestest friends in the dingiest McDonalds!” Donghyuck adds, sliding further down the booth when Chenle and Jisung return with two large paper bags and a travel tray of sodas. Their approach is well identified by the sounds of heavy, jingling plastic jewellery.

Jeno reaches across the counter and begins to take out one paper bag’s contents, dropping hot boxes of fries and paper-wrapped sandwiches onto their tabletop. Everyone grabs something, taking bites of their burgers and swapping them once they’ve realized the specifications are not their own.

“Jisung, why do you get so many pickles?” Renjun asks with a grimace, trading with the youngest.

“So no one else will try to eat mine,” Jisung answers. He takes a bite and shrugs. “Duh.”

“Me and Jisung are dating!” Chenle announces all of a sudden. The tension in the room, entirely self-conceived, had grown to be too much for him. All of the anticipation had been eating away at him for hours. Days. Weeks. The rest of the table seems to hear the declaration a beat after it’s actually been said, their eyes only flitting up to Chenle when he has yet to put his arms down.

Jeno sips his sprite loudly, the ice crackling against the cup.

“Guys,” Chenle repeats. “Jisung and me are dating.”

“Jisung and _I_ are dating,” Renjun corrects him.

“Gross.” Jisung frowns.

“No, Jisung and _me_  are dating,” Chenle says, with some confusion.

“Can you idiots get to the point?” Jaemin asks.

“Jisung, me.” Chenle grabs one of Jisung’s hands and kisses the back of it. It’s greasy. How is the back of his hand so greasy? “We’re boyfriends.”

“And?” Donghyuck raises an eyebrow. “What about it?”

“For three months now,” Chenle says. He doesn’t understand why his friends are all staring back at him like he’s crazy. Even Mark is chewing on a fry, utterly perplexed.

“Do you mean…three years?” Jeno asks. “Happy three year anniversary, you two. That’s great.”

“No, three months!” Jisung refutes. He’s put down his burger. It’s still in his hand but his hand is on the table so it’s not near his mouth and that’s enough of a stance.

“I’m so…confused.” Mark’s sentiment is shared with the rest of the table. “Weren’t you two together this whole time?”

♡

 _Johnny (12:28 a.m):_ find somewhere to crash for the night please

 _Jaehyun (12:30 a.m):_ done

 _Johnny (12:31 a.m):_ are you with ten?  
_Johnny (12:31 a.m):_ or sicheng?

 _Jaehyun (12:31 a.m):_ yes  
_Jaehyun (12:32 a.m):_ taeil?

 _Johnny (12:34 a.m):_ yeah  
_Johnny (12:34 a.m):_ where’s taeyong

 _Jaehyun (12:35 a.m):_ fuck

 _Johnny (12:36 a.m):_ …jaehyun

 _Taeyong (1:02 a.m):_ done

 _Johnny (1:04 a.m):_ what the fuck

 _Jaehyun (1:05 a.m):_ **Jaehyun emphasized**  
**Johnny’s message “what the fuck”.**

♡

 _Yuta (1:23 a.m):_ hey i had a lot of fun tonight  
_Yuta (1:23 a.m):_ do you have time to talk?

 _Kun (1:25 a.m):_ i’m going to bed  
_Kun (1:25 a.m):_ talk in the morning?

 _Yuta (1:29 a.m):_ sure

 _Kun (1:29 a.m):_ goodnight yuta :)

 _Yuta (1:31 a.m):_ goodnight  
_Yuta (1:49 a.m):_  u up?  
_Yuta (2:12 a.m):_  what are we?  
_Yuta (3:03 a.m):_ i think i’m in love with u

♡ 

 _Jungwoo (10:00 a.m):_ hi yukhei! this is jungwoo  
_Jungwoo (10:00 a.m):_ it was nice to meet you last night ♡

♡

 _Yukhei (10:01 a.m):_ MARK I’M IN LOVE

 _Mark (10:18 a.m):_ that’s great bro :)  
_Mark (10:19 a.m):_ what’s her name?

 _Yukhei (10:22 a.m):_ that’s real heteronormative of you man

 _Mark (10:23 a.m):_ what

♡

 _Renjun (11:34 a.m):_ OH WERE YOU TRYING TO  
_Renjun (11:34 a.m):_ I GET IT NOW

 _Chenle (11:49 a.m):_ i don’t want to talk about it

_✓ seen by Jisung, Mark, Jaemin, Donghyuck, and Jeno_

♡

 _Ten (12:09 p.m):_ we should get out of bed

 _Sicheng (12:09 p.m):_ agreed  
_Sicheng (12:09 p.m):_ i’m hungry

 _Ten (12:10 p.m):_ let’s take jaehyun to mcds

 _Sicheng (12:10 p.m):_ he looks so cute asleep

 _Ten (12:11 p.m):_  he looks cute a wreck too

 _Sicheng (12:11 p.m):_ so do you

 _Ten (12:12 p.m):_ so do you

 _Taeil (12:13 p.m):_ guys…please…

 _Ten (12:14 p.m):_ fuck sorry taeil i forgot this was the gc  
_Ten (12:14 p.m):_ how was your sex?

 _Taeil (12:16 p.m):_ THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT

 _Ten (12:16 p.m):_ oh

 _Sicheng (12:20 p.m):_ happy pride!

**Author's Note:**

> [LOVE YA _ hyukoh . mp3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKHbqm-D62Y)
> 
> i was going to have this up earlier however due to poor planning on my part it ended up being much longer than it was supposed to be but it's not like i'm upset about it so!! some inspiration was had from this [thread](https://twitter.com/jeonszcl/status/1006249627363004418) and all the parades i've been to since i was a baby gay lmao. i hope everyone has a safe and wonderful pride!! [doyoung voice] gay rights!
> 
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/ten7s) | [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/idlesong) | [wip list](http://sihyun.carrd.co#wip)


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